“THE GREAT ADVENTURE”

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 164, 7 April 1921, Page 6

“THE GREAT ADVENTURE”

MARIE TEMPEST AND GRAHAM BROiVNE WELCOMED BACK "The Great Adventure,” a comedy in four acts, by Arnold Bennett, Cast:— Ilam Carve - Graham Browne Albert Shawn St'eff MacDonald Dr. Pascoe Herbert Millard Edward Horning Frank Allanby Cyrus Carvo Keppel Stephenson Janet Cannot Marie Tempest Honoira Love Dorothy Hamilton Peter Horning, James Shawn, and Lord Leonard Alcar Frank Harvey Texel (an American millionaire) Herbert Millard Ebag Ashton Jarry Mrs. Shawn Miss Doris Gilham

Arnold Bennett has been a most prolific writer—novelist, essayist, propagandist, educationist, and dramatist —but as far as the stage is concerned he has never conceived anything so quaint, clever, and amusing as "The Great Adventure." or perhaps one should say that’no novel of his has been so admirably adapted for the stage. At the same time it has to be conceded that we are extremely fortunate in seeing this delight" ful comedy so. well played. But why ' paint tho lily, or throw perfume on the rose? Miss Marie Tempest is simply ideal as Mrs. Cannot, the plain, eminently practical, crisp-flongued little vomun who, when thrown into intimate contact with an almost helpless, stuttering inflellectufil in Ilam Carve, mothers and grows, to love him. It is scarcely necessary, in view of the recent performances in Wellington of this comedy, to go deep into details of its unique and altogether gripful plot!, involving as it does the death of a great artist, who is not dead, and the live valet who reposes in the sanctity of Westminster Abbey. Suffice to say that Miss Tempest in a hundred little ways that proclaim the complete artist, gives -a thor c-ughly delightful, tffortless, and natural presentment of Mrs. Cannot. As for Mr. Graham Browne, his Ham Carve will surely Jive in the memory among the most complete character realisations wo have seo-i since the far-away Brough and Boucicault days of precious memory. His Hum Carve is so diffident, and distrait—so absent-minded and ye - -' so lovable and feasible a character. It is not easy to call to memory an actor who has that rape gift of repose, who can stand or sit still 'doing nothing so interestingly as Mr. Browne. This unconventional stammering painter of masterpieces, who lives apart from the busy haunts of men,-is, by some indefinable psychological "pull,” drawn as by an affinity to tihe homely little woman, does not know the first thing about art and cares less, to find a greater happiness in the mating than either of them have ever known before. Perhaps Mr. Bennett intended to imply that the true path to conjugal bliss may be found in opposites. Mrs. Cannot treats Carve like a baby and loves him like one; he finds her sweet and wholesome, and rejoices in her because "she does not chatter about art.” It is indeed on rare occasions that one can lean back and find everything just right in a performance. That pleasure was found last evening by a audience in “The Great Adventure.’

"THE MARRIAGE OF KITTY.”

"The Marriage of Kitty,” to be staged to-night, is hilarious to the point of being farcical, and never drops below pure comedy. In the hands of artists who, apart from possessing remarkable talent, have the whole alphabet of stage business at their finger-tips, it fairly rocks upon a sea of mirth. The very art of the players carries it into the regions of extravagance, but as it is the mission of comedy to amuse, the extravagance is more welcome than otherwise. Miss Tempest and Mr. Graham Browne make it a splendid acting play. As Kitty Silverton, who, iu ordjxr to gain, a competence, marries a rich man, with the ultimate idea of freeing him by divorce so that he may wed the lady he thinks ho loves, Miss Tempest is nt: her best. Mr. Graham Browne as Sir Reginald Belsize. her husband, is also at his best. Whatever he does is artistic and admirable. He does not present the conventional English dude, but he creates a very human person with more money than brains, and with a very understandable opinion of himself and ot his position.